Volkswagen’s Andreas Mikkelsen leads Rally Germany at the conclusion of day one, emerging on top of a three-way fight.Mikkelsen led after the morning’s pair of stages on the first full asphalt event of the World Rally Championship season, but after setting the pace on SS3, the re-run of the rally-opening Mittelmosel stage, he dropped time on SS4 to team-mate Sebastien Ogier and Hyundai’s Thierry Neuville – ending the stage just 4.7 seconds ahead of third-placed Ogier.
Frenchman Ogier then won the afternoon’s final stage, the Ollmuth superspecial, but was only 0.4s faster than his VW team-mate, who carries a 4.3s lead into the second day.
Neuville dropped behind Ogier with the fourth-fastest time through SS5, but remains within six seconds of the lead and 1.6s behind the second Polo R WRC.
Hyundai team-mate Dani Sordo will also enter the second day in the hunt in the second i20 WRC, 6.8s behind Neuville, after a strong afternoon.
Ott Tanak ended the day some way behind that leading battle, the best part of a minute down on Mikkelsen, but content with his the way his Ford Fiesta’s DMACK tyres had performed throughout the leg.
Citroen’s sole representative Stephane Lefebvre is sixth after a mature, conservative run in the morning’s trickier conditions, and ended the day 25s clear of M-Sport’s Mads Ostberg.
Hayden Paddon sits eighth despite a day of struggles in the third Hyundai.
The New Zealander picked up a puncture on the second stage of the day, Moselland, and then suffered a “massive moment” on SS3 through a downhill left-hander while in sixth gear, ripping the rear bumper from his i20.
Paddon ended the day 1m45s off the pace, but just 12.6s behind Ostberg’s Fiesta.
Retirements for VW’s Jari-Matti Latvala and M-Sport’s Eric Camilli allowed WRC2 leader Armin Kremer to occupy ninth at the end of the day.
Having led from the start, Kremer heads title hopeful Esapekka Lappi by 28.4s.